Of course, we are still IN this crisis. We don’t know when it will end. But, eventually opinions will be formed. Here are some thoughts on that process:

The first step to coming to an understanding of the situation using statistics. This data must be used collected accurately and relayed clearly and honestly.

Here is the best information we’ve seen in terms of state by state data on COVID 19. It is critical that data be adjusted for population size. Some data including that from New Mexico’s Department of Health are presented without adjusting for population. That is a problem, but so is the fact that testing is uneven. The best available data are deaths per million. On this metric the data are as follows for NM and some relevant states:

There are many factors impacting the spread of this Virus and New Mexico’s outbreaks have been concentrated in Navajo areas (not necessarily other tribes or pueblos). You could add various western states to the mix above (or subtract them), but New Mexico is on the high side when it comes to deaths per million.

As will be discussed in a follow-up post, New Mexico as been relatively strict in its “lockdown” approach to businesses and individual activity. South Dakota which has had relatively few deaths has famously remained relatively open (despite the Gov. Kristi Noem being heavily criticized for this).

South Dakota also happens to be sparsely populated like New Mexico and has a Native American population that is similar in size to New Mexico’s.

3 Replies to “Comparing New Mexico’s success and failure during the CoronaVirus (Part 1)”

The Navajo Nation’s stats on death rates represent 38% of the state’s total while only consisting of 12% of the population. The living conditions on the reservation make it especially susceptible to high rate of infections. Proper data needed to reopen the state should not include the reservations in NM